Sea of Sand

Sea of Sand

4/11/1958 1h 37m 6.5/10

Overview

A small British army team is sent deep behind enemy lines to destroy a German petrol dump as part of the preparation for a major attack in the North African campaign. Sea of Sand was distributed in the US in a shortened version, Desert Patrol.

Director

Guy Green

Top Billed Cast

Richard Attenborough

Richard Attenborough

Brody

Vincent Ball

Vincent Ball

Sgt Nesbitt

Percy Herbert

Percy Herbert

White

Ray McAnally

Ray McAnally

Sgt. Hardy

John Gregson

John Gregson

Cpt Williams

Michael Craig

Michael Craig

Cpt Cotton

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

3/25/2023

7/10

A squadron of hardy soldiers working on infiltration, enduring the searing heat of the WWII North Africa campaign, are despatched to blow up a fuel dump deep behind enemy lines. It's only when they reach the location they discover something way more perilous than petrol, and so much race back to HQ - with the Nazis hot on their trail - to inform their superiors of this potentially game-changing information. It's quite a familiar looking story that goes some way to depicting the harshness of desert warfare and of the gritty determination of those men sent to fight and survive in this most hostile of global environments. Richard Attenborough nominally heads up a cast of reliable British stalwarts including Michael Craig, John Gregson and the always dependable Percy Herbert and the Libyan photography adds an extra authenticity to the ghastliness and tenaciousness of their struggle. Like many films made some time after the war, it has less of a propagandist element to it and so the plot doesn't shy away from tragedy which, again, lends plausibility to their travails as they struggle to cross the sand. Guy Green has used his cast and the location well here - it is at times an uncomfortable watch and that adds to it's character. Well worth a watch if you get a chance.

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